Removable handbag cover



April 7, 1936. H. E. ROSENBERG 2,036,608

' REMOVABLE HANDBAG COVER Filed Feb. 21, 1935 Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to devices such as handbags, and has reference to improvements in the construction thereof, and particularly to covers for handbags.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described having improved means for mounting a pocket element or cover; also improved means associated with aframed handbag for mounting a cover therefor.

Heretofore, covers, such as removable, washable, or reversible covers have been provided for foundation bags of the wholly flexible type, but it was unknown to provide such a cover for a framed bag because of the unusual difiiculties involved in matters of construction, neatness, compactness, style and ease and convenience in operation and use. For example, it is necessary to consider that such frames are stiff and occupy considerable space and must be adapted for snug continuous interengagement in closed position. Further, it is much more diflicult to easily and conveniently attach a supporting means for a cover to the flexible body of a bag than to the metallic frame thereof, and a connection to the flexible body of a framed bag would cause undue stress on the bag because of the nonyielding character of the frame members. At the same time, the snap sound which occurs in closing a framed handbag, due to impact of the frames against each other, is considered in the art as a highly desirable feature because of a certain appeal produced in the mind of the purchasing public. By my invention, all of the above mentioned difiiculties are met and the desirable features retained.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the type mentioned having relatively few and simple parts, and which is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, can be easily and conveniently used and manipulated by the ordinary purchaser, is neat and continuously uniformly retained and durable, reliable and eflicient.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations. and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation showing a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation with parts in section along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a foundation bag embodying the invention, and showing in dot dash lines elements removably associated therewith.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the cover in detached position.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7.

Figs. 9 and 10 are views of end and top rod elements respectively.

Fig. 11 shows a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken on lines I l! l of Fig. 5.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several difierent constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, ll) denotes a device embodying the invention. The same may include a foundation bag H, and a cover l2 therefor. The foundation bag H may comprise a flexible bag [3 having an opening and frame channel members M of U-shape and hingedly interconnected at I5a for movement toward and away from each other to close and open the bag l3. Each frame member I may include a top section l5 and end sections or arms I 6 preferably of the so called regular or downwardly opening type, clamped on the edges of the bag opening. As thus far described, the bag ll may be conventional in construction, arrangement and operation.

The cover l2 may consist of any suitable material, washable or otherwise, and having desirably different appearances or colors inside and out to produce different eifects if the cover is reversed. Said cover may be variously constructed and arranged as the invention relates primarily to supporting means therefor, and may include a bag or pocket I! as of flexible material 10 aerably, I provide tube forming hems such as 18 and I9, formed as by lines of stitching 20. The hems 18 may extend along the top of the cover substantially from end to end thereof, and each may be open at its oppsite ends 2|. The hems l9 may each e 1end upright along an end of the cover, and may each be open at its upper and lower ends23. 'Otherwise the hems l8 and IS :may be closed therealong. It will be noted that adjacent ends 2|, 23 of the hems lie at an upper 'end corner of the cover and :form an upright angle with each other, and the hems l9 may be arranged to lie within the confines of the cover; in other words,with tlfe end walls 24 of the cover disposed at tlge outside of the'hems I9. Along the upper edge of each end wall 24, I may provide elastic transverse strip 25 connected theretb as at 2 6 and adapted to contract the lower cover portion snugly around the foundation bag, so that the upper free edges ofi said end walls will be relatively taut and hencezcomparatively inconspicuous in open and closed positions of the device l0. 7; e 7

To removably mount the cover on the founda- 7 tion bag, various elements having male and female ,interengagement may be provided, with any one the elements being on the cover and the other? on the bag. An element, or both of them, may be pliable, flexible or resilient, or they may be rigid as herein particularly described. The said elements are desirably arranged not to increase to any material degree the thickness of the handbag, and yet to provide substantially continuous interenga'gement. For engaging the tubular hemfportions l8, IS, the companion elements may be engaged therein telesc-opicallg or axially as by a lacing or rod. If the tubular hem portions be resilient and longitudinally split, or if the stitching 20 be regarded asia releasible fastening or interlacing, the tubular portions may engage with their companiorr elements by a trans verse relative moveinent. g

Preferably I use the following arrangement and construction for neatness, reliability, attractive ness in appearance, and ease of operation. Each frame member l4 has its top portion l provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced fastening elements 21, desirably lying in the plane of the frame member. Likewise each side or arm portion I 6 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced fastening elements 28, 29, preferably lying in the plane of the frame member. Any 'suitabl type of fastening elements may be employed, preferably such as may be directly engageable by suitable rods, such as 30, 3|: hereinafter specifically described. For; this reason the fastening elements arezdesira'bly female in character to receive endszcr other portions of the rods. A particnlarly cheap and effective arrangement is obtained by using elements 21 and 28 which ionsist of rings to provide eyes or ears. ,The lower fastener elements 29 are any other manner not to interfere with the clamping of the channel frame on the bag I3. Hence the fastener efements project from the frame member, and in the case of the regular channel shown, the direction of projectionfis outwa rd while with an inverted channel, the direction may be inwardfexcept as the fastener elements may also be regarded as secured to a flange of the channel.

The fastener elements 21 cdnstitute a pair, and the elements 28, 29 constitute a pair for each side of the frame member. Since the elements 27, 28 are located near a top corner of the frame member, an felement 2l with adjacent element 28 may cooperate to form a pair and may constitute one piece structure connected to the frame member. Thus by interconnecting eiements 27, 28 at 32, they may form a corner piece for the frame member. The said elements 2?, 23 may lie at an angle to each other as? shown. The lower elements. 29 open totvard and in alinement with their companion elements 28, and lie in proximity to but somewhat above the hinge points [5a, T 5

The rod 30 may be cylindrical and provided with means to prevent removal of the rod after the same has been passed throughithe pair of elements 29. In that case, the rod 33 may have ends projecting in oppositedirections from said elements. The means referred to may comprise a fixed head 33 at one end of the rod and a head 34 threadeclly removably connected to the opposite end of the rod at 35.

rod 3| may be provided for each pair of fastening elements 28, 29, each rod 3! being cylindrical and smooth walled threughout, and adapted to have one end seated in @cket 29, and its opposite end retained br slightly projecting from element 28. W

The assembly ofthe fastening means will now be described. The rods Mare passed downward through the ears 28 with their lower ends resting in the sockets 29. Then the rod 30 is passed tlgrough the ears 21, and the head 36 connected thereto at 35. The heads33 and '34 now occupy the angular spaces between the fastener elements 21 and 28, with the head axially overlying the ears 28 and being thus in abutment with the upper ends of the rods 3! to prevent axial movement of the latter. Thus the heads 33, 3G not only serve to prevent removal of the rod 33, but also disengagement of the rods 31 from elements 2 3 and 29. g

2 It will thus be seen that I have provided an arrangement whereby different parts are secured in place with the aid of only one removable securing means 34, and that I accomplish this by a: novel and simple interaction of parts.

The manner or assembling the device Ill will now be described. The foundation bag II is inserted ifito the cover I2. The rods 3! are then inserted in position and caused to pass through jjhe tubular hems I9, each of which registers with its pair of elements 28, 29 and lies between these elements. The rod 30 is next inserted and caused to pass through the tubular hem l8 which registers with the elements zl and lies in the space therebetween; Upon securing the heads 34 on the rods 30 the assembly is complete. The sockets 29 mayjoe concealed, if desired, by the end walls 24 of tlie coverfwith the elastic drawing the end preferably; sockets closed at their lower ends to limit axial motion of their coacting rods. The different fastened elements 21, 28 and 29 are secured to the back of the channel frame, or in :walls snugly against the sockets, to avoid the appearance of too much metal. The device In may now be opened and closed in the usual manner. The heads 33, 34 of the adjacent frames l4 may lie in substantial abutment with each other, if desired, and the channel frames may directly contact each other to avoid undue pressure on the adjacent cover material. The cover may wholly conceal the frame members H, but metal will be visible at 21, 28, 33, 34. The hem portions overlie the channel frames therearound, so that the foundation bag is completely concealed, and a. wholly neat, uniform appearance is obtained when the bag I0 is opened. It will be understood that closure means of any suitable type may be secured to the channel members I4, at the backs thereof, and the rods of the frames l4 may lie sufficiently spaced from each other and from the backs of the channel to aiford clearance for the cover material and for the like angle plates such as 36, 31, that may carry interengaging portions, not shown. The rods 30 may resiliently laterally press or pinch the cover hems l8 against the plates 36, 31 to prevent longitudinal creeping of the hems along the rods 30, so that wrinkling is avoided. The lower part of the bag l3 may bulge at its ends at 38 to fill out the rectangular shaped cover.

The cover I2 may be regarded as permanently as well as removably mounted on frames as shown without using any bag such as l3. Likewise, though with less advantage, the cover may be mounted on a bag I3 without using any frame members such as M. The bag II in itself may be directly used with the parts 30, 3|, as ornamentation.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device including a foundation bag having an opening, frame members having top and leg portions connected to the bag along the opening and movable toward and away from each other to close and open the bag, a cover for the bag, and elongated elements extending along the top and leg portions of the individual frame members, each of the portions having end projecting ears, said elements being engaged with the cover and having engagement in said projecting ears for mounting the cover.

2. A device including a foundation bag having an opening, frame members having top and leg portions connected to the bag along the opening and movable toward and away from each other to close and open the bag, a cover for the bag, and elongated rod elements extending along the top and leg portions, each of the latter having alined upstanding end sockets, each rod element mounted in a pair of the sockets and overlying its frame member in the plane thereof, and the cover having marginal tubular portions between the sockets with the elements passing through the tubular portions.

3. A device including a foundation bag, a cover therefor, said bag and cover having registering openings providing adjoining edges at an angle to each other at each side of the opening, the cover having spaced tubular portions along each of the adjoining edges, and different means for removably engaging in the tubular portions to mount the cover on the foundation bag, one of said means cooperating with the other means to prevent release of the latter.

4. A device including a foundation bag having an opening, U-shaped channel frame elements clamped on the edges of the bag walls along said opening with the bag walls directly downwardly depending therefrom, said channel members being movable toward and away from each other to open and close the bag, a cover for receiving the bag, said cover having an opening in register with the bag opening and having the marginal portions at each side of the opening thereof provided with a top and upright end tubular hem portions, each of said portions being open at opposite ends, different rods removably passing through the individual tubular portions, each channel element having a plurality of upstanding alined ears connected to the back thereof at the top of the element, each channel element having a plurality of projecting extending alined portions connected to the back of each arm thereof, the upper of said projecting portions being an ear and the lower a closed ended socket facing the said ear, the different ears and projecting portions lying in the plane of the channel member, the ears being located in proximity to the angles between the top of a channel member and the arms thereof, one rod extending through the ears at the top of the channel member and having at its opposite ends a fixed head and a removable head, others of the rods having lower ends seated in the sockets and upper ends extending through the ears alined with the sockets and being in abutment with the adjacent heads.

5. A handbag cover having a pocket having an opening along the top and partially down the ends thereof, said pocket being otherwise closed, said pocket having tubular hems extending along the top and ends at opposite sides of the cover relative to said opening, said hems being each open at the upper end corners of the pocket, a foundation bag for the cover, U-shaped frame members for said bag movable toward and away from each other to open and close the same, and rod means engaged in the hems and removably connected to the frame members.

6. A handbag cover having a pocket provided with an opening extending along the top and ends thereof and spaced from the bottom of the cover to provide lower connecting end walls and sidewalls movable toward and away from each other, and elastic portions secured to and transverse to the end walls adjacent to the edges thereof to cause the end walls to snugly hug around a foundation bag having frames and conceal the end portions of the frame thereof in open and closed positions of the foundation bag.

7. A handbag including a foundation bag, a frame permanently connected thereto, a cover, said bag and cover having openings extending along the top and ends thereof, said cover having a pocket to receive the bag, the cover overlying the outside of the frame of the foundation bag, and means at the ends of the bag and cover for releasably connecting the latter with the frame, said means including a rod means and a female element engageable with the rod means.

HARRY E. ROSENBERG. 

